The White House announced on Monday the cancellation of a planned press conference between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the White House, Trump will instead take questions from reporters in the Oval Office following the cancellation.
The decision was announced on the White House’s official account on X, where it also noted that Trump welcomed Netanyahu for their second meeting in just 62 days. Their first meeting had made Netanyahu the first foreign leader received by Trump after his inauguration.
Prime Minister Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Sunday to meet with Trump. The visit aims to negotiate better trade terms regarding tariffs and to discuss several major issues, including the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, Turkey’s role in Syria, and Iran’s nuclear program, according to Bloomberg.
Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu met with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East. According to the American news site Axios, the discussions focused on efforts to reach a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the exchange of hostages and detainees, and the future of the Iran nuclear deal.
Axios also quoted an Israeli official stating that Netanyahu believes the chances of the United States reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran are very low. However, he plans to present Trump later Monday with his vision of what a strong and effective deal should look like.
The cancellation of the joint press conference comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and critical negotiations that could reshape regional dynamics.
Follow the latest news on Google News
